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I'm sure there are a million examples of words that people pronounce differently. (Do you pronounce the 's' at the end of Illinois?, Missouree or Missourah, etc.)

But I'm gonna start with one that I wonder if I'm weird cause I hear people pronounce it one way and I think its just wrong:

Topo

While technically not a word, it is the name of a software package, and is frequently pronounced as an abbreviation.

I think its "top-oh" (rhymes with mop, flop, hop). I hear others pronounce it with a long-o: "tow-poh" (taupe-oh?). It drives me crazy.

Of course, I derive this from the original "topographic" which the initial o is pronounced "ah" versus "oh". (At least according to Dictionary.com)

Any thoughts on Topo, or other words that Dubya might have misunderpronuncicated?

Thanks Lizbeth - you & yours have a special place in my heart
Here are a couple of poems for Memorial day.

It's the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.

It's the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech.

It's the Soldier, not the politicians
That ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.

"For those who have fought for it, Freedom has a taste that the protected will never know."
"Some Gave, Some gave All"

THE FINAL INSPECTION:
The Marine stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
'Step forward now, Marine,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?'
The Marine squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Marine waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
'Step forward now, Marine,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

Thank you!

jeffmacewen wrote:I'll admit that I used to say "Top-oh" until I found myself working with NGIA-types and married to someone who makes and evaluates maps. Every time I said it I would get thrashed so I've adopted the seemingly more correct "Toh-Poh."

I'm wit chu...
whereas someone I hiked with last week swears on Top-oh

I didn't follow through opening your link because it seemed to be some sort of video, which I dislike. So, I am guessing that Merriam Webster now accepts topo as a word. So how is it pronounced? I don't want to open the link.

Incidentally, if you look up coatimundi, (at least, when I looked it up in a regular dictionary), it says it is pronounced in no less than 5 syllables. Coh-ah-tee-mun-dee. NOT Coh-tee-mun-dee. And Coh-ah-tee for short, I presume. It makes sense to have that extra syllable, because if you know anything about Spanish, that is exactly how it would be pronounced in Spanish. (Although they would say "moon-dee" instead of the more Anglo "mun-dee.")

If we are to follow the general pronunciation rules of the English language, 'topo' would be pronounced "toh-poh".

The long 'o' is used because there is only on 'p'. If it was spelled 'toppo' it would be pronounced "top-oh"

However, in the longer words like 'topography' or 'topographical' then the 'o' is a short 'o'. (Which is the pronunciation you hear in the link.)

Isn't English just such a fun language?

CannondaleKid wrote:Isn't English just such a fun language?

I gave up on English when I moved to the Ukraine. Now I am trying to learn Russian but I cannot get my mouth to move like it is supposed to!

A just chalk it all up to regional dialectic differences. ;)

I once had to translate for my lab partners... one was French, one was from Tennessee. Everyone was presumably speaking English but couldn't understand the other.

put the books down and absorb the culture

good - gud - gewd
food - fud - fewd

From food to feud! Interesting!

I still wish people knew the difference between it's and its. (It's always always always means "it is.")

azbackpackr wrote:From food to feud! Interesting!

Reminds me of the famous words of Bluto Blutarsky FOOD FIGHT!! Look how cleverly I highjacked this thread back to the Movie Quotes Thread.

I heard someone on NPR today refer to "less" sentences. I learned that if you could count them it was "fewer" but if you had to measure it, it was "less." Fewer birds, less rain, fewer cars, less snow.

And "bring" and "take" seems to be changing. I learned to "take" something with you when you go somewhere, and you "bring" it back when you return. "I'll take my backpack to Reavis Ranch." "I'll bring back a load of apples."

Yeah, I am guilty of that take and bring mixup.

Hanged and hung.

Pictures are hung. People are hanged.

chumley wrote:Pictures are hung. People are hanged.

so building on that... if People, who haven't been hanged, hung around all day, they'd be loitering... If they have been hanged, they'd be dangling...

It's the subtlety and versatility of the language that I love so much!

The Navajo Times has some pretty good vocabulary lessons:
COUSIN
NAVAJO word of the Day: COUSIN - You better hurry and let out the sheep COUSIN five minutes your dad is gonna be here

WETTER
NAVAJO word of the Day: WETTER - Hey shí buddy, can u believe dis WETTER, ders snow ever wheres

This one might only make sense to someone that knows a little Diné bizaad
hitdahay - go to sleep.

If you've heard of ebonics I guess this is Rezbonics
Now I think I'll go have another cup of gohwééh.

chumley wrote:Hanged and hung.
Pictures are hung. People are hanged.

Fill in the blank. He thought that he was pretty well ____________.

Al_HikesAZ wrote:Fill in the blank. He thought that he was pretty well ____________.

spoken? learned? versed? I don't follow... ;)

I like
"Bear with me" versus "Bare with me"
"Bear with me" means be patient as I shoulder this burden.
"Bare with me" means let's take our clothes off together. But that's a completely different Thread.